Generally, a washing machine is an electronic appliance that removes the pollutants from clothes, bedding and the like through the friction and impacts of the flow of water caused by the emulsification of detergent and the rotation of washing wings, and the washing process of the washing machine generally has washing, rinsing, dewatering and water supplying/discharging strokes.
The washing machine is largely classified into a pulsator type washing machine and a drum type washing machine in accordance with washing ways, and the pulsator type washing machine rotates only the washing wings to form the flow of water in the state where the washing tub stops at the time of the washing and rinsing strokes and rotates the washing wings and the washing tub together at the time of the dewatering stroke to perform the dewatering stroke from the laundry put into the washing tub by using a centrifugal force.
Typically, the washing machine includes a washing shaft adapted to rotate the washing wings, a dewatering shaft adapted to rotate the washing tub, a clutch unit adapted to selectively transmit a driving force of a motor to the washing shaft and the dewatering shaft in accordance with the washing mode, and a brake unit adapted to fix the washing tub at the time of the washing stroke.
The clutch unit is operated by means of a clutch motor and selectively transmits the driving force of the motor to the washing shaft and the dewatering shaft, and the brake unit is operated by means of a brake motor to allow a brake pad to fix a brake drum thereto, so that the washing tub can be kept fixed at the time of the washing stroke.
According to the conventional washing machine, however, the clutch unit and the brake unit are operated independently of each other by means of their respective motors, thus making the driving apparatus more complicated in configuration, and further, such motors are needed, thus making the volume bulky and raising the manufacturing cost.